Augusto Cury, the presidential candidate for Avante, urged voters to heal Brazil during his debut radio election broadcast on Saturday, August 29. Cury focused his initial message on combating political polarization across the country.
Running for 35 seconds, the shortest broadcast slot among all presidential candidates, the commercial opened with news audio clips featuring previous Brazilian presidents. Cury's campaign stated that the selected audio clips reflected the ongoing political polarization in the nation.
Positioning himself as an alternative for voters, Cury questioned whether the public wanted four more years of division. He asked if people could instead stop shouting, sit down, listen to one another, and heal the country.
Free Electoral Airtime Regulations
The broadcast marked the nationwide start of free electoral advertising on radio and television for presidential candidates and candidates running for the Chamber of Deputies. Under Brazilian law, free broadcast blocks for executive and legislative candidates air every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday across national networks.
Free electoral airtime in Brazil is a legally protected broadcasting system regulated by the Superior Electoral Court, known locally as the Tribunal Superior Eleitoral. Governed by Law Number 9,505 of 1997 and court resolutions 23,610 of 2019 and 23,776 of 2026, the mandate ensures that all registered political parties, federations, and coalitions receive dedicated airtime to present their candidates and policy platforms to the public.
Broadcast Schedule and Block Allocations
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, presidential campaigns receive 12 minutes and 30 seconds per broadcast block. Radio slots air from 7:00 am to 7:12:30 am and from 12:00 pm to 12:12:30 pm, while television broadcasts run from 1:00 pm to 1:12:30 pm and from 8:30 pm to 8:42:30 pm. Candidates for Federal Deputy receive matching block lengths of 12 minutes and 30 seconds, airing immediately afterward on radio from 7:12:30 am to 7:25 am and from 12:12:30 pm to 12:25 pm, and on television from 1:12:30 pm to 1:25 pm and from 8:42:30 pm to 8:55 pm.
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are reserved for state-level and regional races. Senate candidates receive 7 minutes per block, accounting for 28 percent of the available airtime, running on radio from 7:00 am to 7:07 am and 12:00 pm to 12:07 pm, and on television from 1:00 pm to 1:07 pm and 8:30 pm to 8:37 pm. State and District Deputy races take 9 minutes or 36 percent of airtime, airing on radio from 7:07 am to 7:16 am and 12:07 pm to 12:16 pm, and on television from 1:07 pm to 1:16 pm and 8:37 pm to 8:46 pm. Gubernatorial broadcasts conclude the schedule with 9 minutes, airing on radio from 7:16 am to 7:25 am and 12:16 pm to 12:25 pm, and on television from 1:16 pm to 1:25 pm and 8:46 pm to 8:55 pm.
